primary 
naU, which spring from other and Uter-dercloped part* 
,.f (In num. . unimonly nodes of the stem iir branches, 
Primary tense time. see tin- nonim. =8yn. I'rlman, 
l-rimeTPrimiti*, PrUine, Primeil, Primordial, Primal, 
laartlBT All the lUMcixed wordi |o back by derivation 
to th Idea 
a of being or going before. Primary and prime 
mean flnt In time, and now especially flrtt In order of 
Importance: as, a primary cuua, dellnlUon, consideration. 
planet: print* mover, Importance, Idea (ee deflnltlon of 
prim*). PHmiti* means belonging to the beginning 
or origin, original, hence old-faihloned, baring ail old- 
fashioned simplicity: at, a primititt word, the primitive 
church, jarimititt purity, mannen. unconvenllonslity, 
drew PrUHar is essentially the tame a> j>rimilire. ex- 
cept that It U nerer uncomplimentary : It Is still mure 
cloKli lynonymous with original. Priuuml means of 
the flrtt or earliest ages, and nothing else. Itimnnlial 
and primal are much the leant common of these words . 
primal Is poetic for primr or primitive; primordial per- 
talni to that which In the flrtt, but hat or hat had ft his- 
tory or development : a*, primordial rocks ; "& primordial 
leaf It that which is immediately developed from the 
cotyledon ; In history or physiology we speak of the pri- 
mordial condition of mini, and In metaphysics of the 'pri- 
mordial fault of an intelligent nature '(Sir W. Hamilton) ' 
(C. J. Smith, Synonyms Discriminated, p. 51/7). See original. 
II. H.: \i\. primaries (-riz). 1. That which 
stands first or highest in rank or importance, 
as opposed to xeeondary; that to which some- 
thing else is subordinate. 
The converter! were banked on a wooden framework 
at a distance of tome :tt> yardt from the dynamo, and their 
primaries were permanently secured to the dynamo cir- 
cuit. Klect. Ken. (Amor.), XVI. vl. 9. 
2. Ill ornith., one of the remiges, flight-feathers, 
or large quills which are situated upon thema- 
nus, pinion-hone, or distal segment of the wing. 
Such feathers are commonly the largest or longett and 
strongest of the rcmlRes, anil sonic of them almost always 
enter Into the formation of the point of the wing. They 
are collectively distinguished from the succeeding set, 
situated upon tht 1 forearm or cubit and known as teemi- 
dariej. The primaries are enumerated from without in- 
ward, or toward the body, the/inrf primary living the outer- 
ly, -i remex. In most birds they arc 10 In number: In 
many otcine passerine birds there arc only : a few birds 
have II. See cuts under bird, cnrert, and emanjinale. 
3. In fntmn., one of the anterior or fore wings: 
used especially in descriptions of the Lrpiiloji- 
trra. See cut under Cirrophanug. 
The primaria below are fulvous, with a single wavy 
brown line. Sounder*. 
4. In V. S. politics, a meeting of voters belong- 
ing to the same political party in a ward, town- 
ship, or other election district, held for the pur- 
pose of nominating candidates for office, choos- 
ing delegates to a convention, etc. Theoretically 
every voter belonging to the party in a district has a right 
to attend the primary and vote, but In cities and large 
places only registered voters who have answered certain 
test questions relating to party adherence have that privi- 
lege. Compare caucut. 
If the lelectlonldlitrlctis notsulKlividcd, Its meeting is 
called a Primary, llryce, Amer. Commonwealth, II. .,". 
5. A planet in relation to its satellite or satel- 
lites: as, the earth is the primary of the moon. 
Lateral primaries, in ftat. See nenation. 
primate (pri'mat), n. [<ME. priiate,<OF.pri- 
mat, F. primal = Pr. primal = ISp. Pg. prima- 
dii, primuz = It. primate, <. LL. irim.v (primal-), 
of the first, chief, excellent, ML. as a noun, a 
primate, < L. primus, first: see prime.'] It. The 
first or chief person. 
He (Daniel) tchal be prymate >V prynce of pure clergye 
(learning), . . . 
And of my retne the rychest to ryde wyth myselnen. 
Alliterative Poeml(ed. Mon isi, II. 1670. 
2. A bishop of a see ranking as first in a prov- 
ince or provinces; a metropolitan as presiding 
in his province, or one of several metropolitans 
as presiding over others. The title of primate did 
not come Into ordinary nte till the ninth century, after 
which It was given to metropolitans of certain sees as 
special representatives of the Tope. The term primate 
(npuTii'ui) has never been In regular use In the Greek 
Church. Tlie title of exarch comes nearest to It. In the 
Roman Catholic Church a primate Is a bishop or an arch- 
bishop to whom Is delegated a certain jurisdiction as vicar 
of the Pope over the bishops of his province, or to whose 
see such authority has formerly !<< n delegated. In the 
Church of England the Archbishop of Canterbury has the 
title Primatt of all England, while the Archbishop of 
York It I'rinuitr of England. In the Church of Ireland 
the Archbishop of Armagh Is Primate of all Ireland, and 
the Archbishop of linhlin Primate of Ireland. 
It I Lyons) It the teat of an Archblthop, who Is the Pri- 
matt and Metropolitan of France. 
Coryat, Crnditlea, t 59. 
Bishops In the chlefest mother churches were termed pri- 
tmtit, and at the length, by way of excellency, patriarchs. 
Hialnr, Ecclet, Polity, vil. s. 
In modem tlmet those bishops only are properly called 
primata to whose tee the dignity of vicar of the Holy See 
was formerly annexed. . . . Changed circumstances . . . 
have made the jurisdiction of primate* almost a thing of 
the put It-m. Cat*. Diet., p. OKI. 
3. In :<*>/., a member of the order Primates; a 
tiriinntial or prinmtic mammal, as man. 
Primates (pri-ma'tez). . /./. [NL., pi. of LL. 
prima (primal-), of the first or chief: sec /m 
4724 
iii'itr.] If. The first Linnean order of Mamnui- 
lin. composed of the four genera ///. .>//<". 
l.'iinir, ami I ixpfrtilio, or man, monkeys, le- 
miirs. and bats. 2. Now, the first or highest 
order (if MiiHiiiHiliii, including man, monkeys, 
and lemurs. Thebralnhasarelatlvelylargecerebrum, 
overlapping much or all of the cerel>ellum and of the ol- 
factory lobes, with usually a highly convoluted surface; 
there Is a well denned calcarlne sulcus, and a hippocam- 
pus minor In the pottcomu ; the corpus callotuin extend! 
backward to the vertical of the hlp|>ocanipal sulcus, and 
develops In front a well-marked recurved rostrum. The 
periotic and tympanic bones are normally Joined to the 
squamosal. The pelvis ami the posterior limbtare well de- 
M-lo|M-d, and the legs are exserted almost entirely beyond 
the common integument of the trunk. The first or Inner 
digit of the fit, the great toe. Is enlarged, provided with 
a nail (not a claw), and usually apposable to the other 
digits. Clavicles are present and perfect. There are teeth 
of three kinds, all enameled, and the molars have mostly 
two or three roots. The placenta Is discoid and decldnate. 
The Primates correspond to the Bimana and Otiadnimana 
together. They are divisible Into two suborders, the An- 
thrnpiiidea and Pmmmia, the former represented by the 
families llmniniilie. Simiutir, CiliuipttheciAiT, Cebulee, and 
Miiiitlte, or man and all kinds of monkeys the Prarimitr, 
or lemurs and lemuroid animals, constituting the families 
Lemurida, Tarnidx, and Uatibentoiuidie. Also Primaria. 
primateship (pri'inut-ship), H. [< primate + 
-ship.] The office or dignity of primate. 
primatial (pri-ma'shal), a. '[< primate + -i-/.] 
1. Of or pertuining"to a primate. Also pri- 
Iliatietll. 
Henry of Winchester pleaded hard at Rome that the 
ancient capital should I* raited to primatial rank. 
. A. freeman, Norman Conquest, V. 212. 
2. Of or pertaining to the mammalian order 
Primates. 
prlmattC (prl-mat'ik), 0. [< primate + -ir.] Of 
or pertaining to the mammalian order Primates; 
primatial: as. primntic characters. Huxley. 
primatical (pri-uiat'i-knl), n. [< primatic + 
-/.] Same as primntiiil, 1. 
The original and growth of metropolitioal, nrimntical, 
and patriarchal Jurisdiction. Barrow, 1'ope's Supremacy. 
prima-vista (pre'mii-vis'ta), ti. [It., < priiiui. 
fern, of priam, first, -I- riSta, view, sight : see 
ristii.] Same usprimero. 
The game at cards called prlmero or prima-vitta. 
Florio, p. 400. (Halliirell.) 
prime (prim), << and H. [I. n. < OF. prime, prim 
= Pr. prim = Sp. 1'g. It. primo, < li.prfnHU, 
fii-st, superl. (cf. prior, eompnr.. fonner, prior), 
for "proinniK. < pro, forth, forward : see pro-. Cf. 
AS. ftiriNii, first: Bee/orww 1 . II. n. < F. primr, 
< L. prima, sc. horn, the first hour. fern, ot pri- 
mus, first: see above.] I. a. 1. First in order 
of time; primitive; original: as, the prime cost. 
Tlie most replenished sweet work of nature 
That from the prime creation e'er she framed. 
Shot., Rich. III., iv. 3. 1. 
Those (words) which are derivative from others, with 
their prime, ccrUine, and natural signification. 
Kvelyn, To Sir Peter Wyche. 
The mountains gemmed with morning dew, 
In the prime hour of sweetest scenta and airs. 
Wordneorth, Excursion, vl. 
While the prime swallow dips his wing. 
Tennyson, Edwin Morris. 
2. First in rank, degree, or importance ; prin- 
cipal; chief: as, prime minister. 
This Invites 
The prime men of the city to frequent 
All places he resorts to. 
Fletcher, .Spanish Curate, i. 1. 
Nor can I think that God, Creator wise, 
Though threatening, will in earnest to destroy 
I's his prime creatures, dignified so high. 
V. L., ix. MO. 
Earnestly meting out the Lydlan proconsular Asia, to 
make good the prime metropolis of Ephesus. 
Hilton, Church-Government, i., Pref. 
They said all the prime People were against a War. 
Steele, Grief A-la-Modc, iv. 1. 
Thr ;irim<- utensil of the African savage Is a gourd. 
Sir S. W. Baiter, Heart of Africa, p. 233. 
3. Of the first excellence, value, or imj>ortance ; 
first-rate ; capital : as, prime wheat ; prime 
quality; a prime joint of meat. 
The last may prove the prime part of his life, and those 
lilt best days which he lived nearest heaven. 
Sir T. Bmrne, Christ Mor., III. 22. 
Your thorough French Courtier, whenever the fit he 's In, 
Thinks It s prime fun to astonish a citizen. 
Darham, Ingoldsby Legends, ii. 8. 
A flask of cider from his father's vats, 
I'rimr, which I knew. Tenuymt, Amllcy Court. 
4. Kelatiug to the period or the condition of 
early manhood and vigor; being in the best 
in- must vigorous time of life. See prime, .,:!. 
His starry helm unbuckled showed him prime 
In manhood, where youth ended. 
MiUon, P. L., xl. 245. 
Since your garden Is blasted, your vlnedage ended. . . . 
your prime tyme finished, your youth passed, your old age 
prime 
e, It were much more conuenlente to take order for 
amendement of old slnnet. 
(Itierara, Lettn (tr. by Hellowes, 1577), p. 237. 
5f. Ready; eager; bold. 
At prtnu> at goate. Slu*., Othello, III. 8. 4O3. 
6f. Fierce; strong. 
Ther was no man yn hethyn londe 
Myght sytte a dynte of hys honde, 
The traytour was so premf. 
MS. Cantab. VI. II. SS, t 89. (llalliicell.) 
7. Ill matit., indivisible without a remainder, 
except, by unity; incapable of being separated 
into simpler factors. Two integers are said tobeprinu 
loyether, or relatively prime, when they have no com n 
divisor except 1. (Tim.-, 1 alone of all numben It prime 
to Itself, and In the theory of niinilicrs It must be so re- 
garded.) One Integer Is said to \>e prime to a second with 
respect to a third when It does not contain the second with 
respect to the third. (SeeeoMtat'w, 8.) One matrix is said to 
be prime to another when their determinants are relative- 
ly prime. At prime face*, at nrst view ; prima facie. 
This accident so pltous was to here, 
And ek so like a soth at pry me face. 
Chawer. Trollus, iii. 919. 
Prime and ultimate ratios. See ratio.- Prime cir- 
culator, conductor, factor. Sec the nouns. Prime 
figure, in ftemn., a ngure which cannot he separate*! 
into any ngures more simple than itself, as a triangle 
or a pyramid. Prime matter!. Same as frut matter 
(which see, under matter). Prime meridian. See me- 
ridian, and lunyitude, 2. Prime mess, the second quality 
of pickled or salt pork, consisting of the hams, shoulders, 
and sides of the hog. Prime minister, the leading 
minister of a government ; the chief of the cabinet or 
ministry : commonly used with reference to countries 
which enjoy a representative government. The prime 
minister may hold one of various important portfolios, 
as that of foreign affairs, of war. of the interior, etc. ; the 
British prime minister Is usually First Lord of the Trea- 
sury. (Also called premier.) The omce does not exist In 
the I nited States, although the Secretary of State is some- 
times aftectedly styled premier.- Prime mover, (o) The 
Initial force which puts machine In motion. ('<) A ma- 
chine which receives and modifies force as supplied by 
some natural source, as a water-wheel or a steam-engine. 
Prime number, in arith., a number not divisible with- 
out remainder by any number except itself and unity: 
such are 1, 2, S, S, 7, 11, 13, 17, IS, 2S, 2, 31, 87, 41, 43, 47, 
.S3, .19, (11, 07, 71, 73, 79, S3, 89, 97, 101, Wit, 107, 109, 118, etc. 
See late of reciprocity of prime number*, under Jowl. Also 
called inenmpoiite number. trlme relation, n relation 
not composite. Prime vertical, In aUron., a celestial 
great circle passing through the east ami west jioints and 
the zenith. Prime vertical dial, a dial projected on 
the plane of the prime vertical circle, or on one parallel 
to It; a north-and-south dial. Prime vertical transit- 
instrument, a transit-instrument the telescope of which 
revolves In the plane of the prime vertical, used for ob- 
serving the transit of stars over this circle. =Sjrn. L Frit- 
tine, etc. See primary. 2 and 3. Chief, principal, best. 
II. . 1. The first period ; the earliest stage or 
beginning; specifically, spring. 
Whan comcii was the tyme 
Of Averil, whan clothed is the mede 
With newe greene, of lusty Veer the prime. 
Chawer. Trollus, 1. 157. 
And brought him presents, flowers If it were prime, 
Or mellow fruit if it were harvest time. 
Spenter, Astrophel, 1. 47. 
We see how quickly sundry arts mechanical were found 
out, In the very prime of the world. 
Hooker, Eccles. Polity, 1. 10. 
Awake: the morning shines, and the fresh field 
Calls us: we lose the^rimc. Milton, P. L., v. 21. 
Thee with the welcome Snowdrop I compare ; 
That child of winter, prompting thoughts that climb 
Krom desolation toward the genial prime. 
Wnrtinmrth, Sonnets, III. 17. 
2. Tho first hour or period of the day. speciil- 
cally (o) The first hour ; the first twelfth of the time be- 
tween sunrise and sunset. (It) In the early church, the 
Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Church, and in Angli- 
can religious houses, etc., and in private devotion, one of 
the seven canonical hours ; an office said, or originally In* 
tended to be said, at the first hour after sunrise. Prime 
follows next after matins and lauds. The psalms of the 
Greek office of prime (^ irp<iT>), sc. iip) arc those already 
used In the fifth century (Psalms v., xc., cl.); In the West- 
ern Church they are Psalmt xxil.-xxvi., llv., cxvlll., cxix. 
1-82 (with varying distribution according to the day and 
use), Among the principal features of the office arc the 
hymn Jam lud* orto ritfere (Now that the daylight tills 
the sky), the Athanasiau Creed, Little Chapter. Lord's 
Prayer, I Teed, IVcces, I Confession, Absolution, and Collects. 
He made him to ben delyvered out of Presoun, and com- 
manded that I'salm to ben seyd every day at Prune. 
ManaemUe, Travels, p. 145. 
Longe erst cr pryme rong of any belle. 
Chaucer, Pardoner's Tale, 1. 200. 
From prime to vespers will I chant thy praise. 
Tennyton, Pelleas and EtUrre. 
(e) In a more extended sense, from the fact that the lesser 
canonical hours followed at Intervals of three hours, the 
first quarter of the time between sunrise and sunset, end- 
ing half-way between sunrise and midday. 
The night has yielded to the morn. 
And far the hours of prime arc worn. 
Scott, Rokehy, rl. 28. 
3. The spring of life: youth: full health, 
strength, nr beauty : hence, the highest or most 
perfect state or most flourishing condition of 
anything. 
